The soldier outside the gate stepped out of his post and then he squinted up at the sky.
His partner remained seated inside, but anxiety had already begun creeping into his gut as well.
The air felt heavier almost as if it were charged by electricity. He frowned and finally leaned forward, peering through the window of their small guard post.
The clouds above them were strange. They didn't just darken the sky but also churned and twisting unnaturally.
"What do you see?" the soldier inside finally asked, his voice uncertain.
The one outside didn't look away. "Do you ever see lightning that doesn't make a sound?"
That question froze his partner for a second. "What?"
He pushed himself up, grabbed his cap, and stepped outside.
When he looked up, he saw it too. Flashes of pale white light weaving through the clouds but silently, like veins pulsing beneath a dark skin. No thunder or echo, just light.
